VICTORIA LEAGUE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4906, 27 June 1918, Page 7

VICTORIA LEAGUE.

j • ANNUAL MEETING. “ I A SUCCESSFUL YEAR. The annual meeting of the Victoria League was held in Findlay’s tea rooms yesterday afternoon. There was a good attendance. The president (Mrs. W. ,R. Barker) presided. The following is the president’s' animal report of the .League’s work from June 1 1917, to June 1, 1918. Membership.—Tliis 'has increased from 86 to 142. This is mainly duo to the afternoon held in May last year to meet Mrs Carey Hill. There are as yet very few’men members.

Red Cross Shop.—The past year has seen quiet and steady work on the part of the League, mainly in its efforts to help the Red Cross. That the result has been Satisfactory is evident, both from the amount of money raised and from the many letters of congratulations and appreciation that ‘have been received—from the branches of the League here, from headquarters' in London, and from the Joint Finance Committee of the British Red Gross and Order or St. John of Jerusalem—to whom the money goes. Too mufch stress canndt be laid uppn the fact- that it is the steady, continuous work which counts and though now that the novelty of shopkeeping has. worn off, it seems more of an effort to the workers, this is one of the few ways in which we at this end of the world can help to win the war. May I quote from the annual report of the Red Cross Finance Committee scribers will stand by us to the end, resolved that Red Cross Aid to those who need it shall never fail from lack of funds.” And from Sir Wm. Pender in a review of accounts, published in the Times: ‘The final responsibility rests with the generous public, who alone can provide the funds which render its humane service possible.” The amount made by the shop since June last is approximately £7887, making a net total of £12.250 since we started in June, 1916.

N.Z.R.C.—On June 9‘. 1917, a day was set apart at the shop for the New Zealand Red Cross and Military Camp Hospitals. The result was £B2 5s lOd, which was finally divided as follows:—£27 8s 8d for Trentham Camp Hospital for screens, tables, etc; £2B 8s 7d for Featherston Camp Hospital for extra comforts; and £27 8s 7d to Codford Hospital, England. Owing to a mistake in the delivery of the last, it was used to buy extras at Christmas for the soldiers in camp, instead of in the hospital as was intended. Maori Day.—Another day was taken by the Maoris, who made £6B for the Maori Red Cross Fund. This, was sent through the League. Children’s Day.—The teachers and children of the Government schools were responsible for one Saturday in September, and made the splendid sum of £316. This was sent in the usual way, marked as a special donation. One of the country districts— Tahora, Tahunga and Wharekopaobeing unable to get goods to town in the winter, decided to send cash donations instead. These were gratefully received bv the Committee. Owing to unavoidable inequalities in the sizes of the districts, no comparisons should he made as to results obtained by' them. But standing as especially worthy of mention is the Manutuke district, which has made over £IOOO in the four days allotted to it during the past year. Otherwise the districts have taken the shop in rotation, all money going to the Red Cross. The shop was closed for a fortnight after Christmas. Our Day.—£l47 14s 9d, the am- ; ount made at the shop on Our Day j last November, was sent through the ; Mayor with the other Gisborne sub- j scriptions. It was found necessary : during the year for the Committee to pass a resolution that the shop could j not be used on Saturdays for other : than Red Cross purposes. The Com- ; mittee had received several appeals, j and though quite in sympathy -with j the objects thereof, felt that they ; should not interfere with the regular j work of the League. ' j Flowers. —Mr. Darton arranged, j through Mrs. Beere, to sell flowers j and to take orders, for the benefit of . the Red Cross. This was much ap- j predated bv the Shop Committee. j Empire Day.—This branch sent its j usual contributions to the Victoria j X/eagne -Wreatli to be _ placed at the j foot of Queen 'Victoria’s statue on Empire Day. . « , ! Declaration Day.—Members of the • League attended the special meeting ; arranged by the Mayor on August 4. Captain Cook’s Landing—Mr. and Mrs. Barker were invited' to represent the League on the 14.8 th anniversary of the landing of Captain Cook at Poverty Bay, and to place a wreath on the monument erected to i mark the exact spot at which he landed. , . , , Two Gifts have been received by tlie League here. One a set of lantern slides taken from the official war pictures from an anonymous donor in England, the other a hook entitled “TheJDiary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front,” sent by Miss Talbot. Part of a sum of money sent to the League from this , branch at the beginning of the war used to buy comforts for the soldiers on active service in France. these were distributed by Sister Luard, the writer of the hook. j Victoria League Clubs. —The Committee were able to send £lO to the j Victoria League Clubs in London ; from the general fund. j Featherston Camp Hospital.—The j sum of £5 was sent to the matron j of this hospital, also from the gen- j eral funds. This was spent on china | for the use of officers in hospital, to j take the place of tin plates, etc., in j use before. * % ' ; Flower Show. —An autumn flower j show for the Red Cross was organsea j by Mr G. Bull, Mr. Da**ton and others, r A sub-committee of Victoria League ladies was appointed to -range Tor- stalls and to act in coniunctidn with the organisers. The, result was* £7B 8s 7d. Victoria League Conference. —Un : fortunately this branch was not able to send delegates to the conference held in Christchurch in March. It is hoped, however, that some members may he able to attend the next one, to-be held in Auckland in April, 1919. . v Lemons.—Gases of lemons have been despatched to the Featherston Camp Hospital at regular intervals, and are much appreciated. During the year a sub-committee was set up to arrange for motor drives for the convalescent soldiers in hospital. . , Meetings—An alteration was made in the-meetings of the League and Shop Oommittee. Both have been held on the first Wednesday of each month at the shop, the former at 2.30 and the latter at 3 o’clock. • Thanks. —The Committee wish to express tbeir tbaiiks to all who have worked for or at tlie. shop, and tor all gifts both of money and goods,particularly all who have given sheep j also to Mr. Cederwall, of the Gisborne Sheepfarmers, for having the sheep killed at the- freezing works, keeping and forwarding carcases a s required for use m the shop: to the Gisborne Cleaning t-0., for cleaning the shop windows which •they have done free of charge since the shop started'; to Mr. Lysmir for remitting one week’s rent (£4)—this was on the day the shop was closed for the Y.M.C.A. campaign ; to Common, Shelton and ' Co. for Packing and forwarding lemons, for the . use of crockery for shop, and general assistance. Special* thanks are due also to our treasurer, Mr. Davies, for his Valuable services, to Mr. in esse for auditing the accounts and to Major Beero, who has been of great assistance m counting and ta ing charge of the money each. Saturday. '' . "

We regret very much the loss of the services of our very capable secretary, Miss Gray, who has been obliged to Resign for family reasons. The hon. treasurer (Mr. C. P. Davies) reported as follows :—Mr. J. W. Kinniburgh (officer in charge of war funds) met the ladies in committee on the 16th January and informed them that under the amended regulations a special permit must be obtained from the Department for the carrying on of work at the shop for the British Red Cross, and that quarterly returns must he sent to the Government; also acknowledgment from Sir Robert Hudson (chaiiman of Joint Finance Committee, London) for amounts received. The special permit has been obtained and Sir Robert Hudson communicated with, who has acknowledged as having received the sum of £9OOO up to 31st December, which agreed with the ,amounts cabled up to that date. In order to fall into line.with tlio Government annual balance (viz., 31st March), the return now presented is made up from June Ist, 1917, to 31st March, 1918. You will notice that during that period tlie sum of £6075 has been cabled to London for the British Red Cross, £147 14s 9d handed to the Mayor for Red Cross Day, £6B cabled for Maori sick and wounded soldiers in London, £B2 5s 10d for the Featherston, Trelitham and Codford hospitals. All the above are from proceeds of ~ the Red Cross shop, including donations. Also from Victoria League Fund, £5 for Featherston hospital, and £lO to Mr. Hallum, in London, for the Victoria League Club, making a total of £6415 0s 7d for the ten months. This is a splendid result, and shows what interest and energy the ladies have taken -in this great work, and the committee desire to express their grateful thanks to all members of the League, donors, workers, and purchasers of goods for assisting towards this great object. Since the institution of the Victoria League in Gisborne, the following payments have been made to patriotic funds: Victoria League £285, Horn proceeds of Red Cross shop £11,501 14s 7d, making a total of £11,786 14s 7d. From the 31st March the sum of £1875 has been cabled to London, grand'total £13,661 14s 7d, and still the good work goes on towards alleviation of the sick and wounded heroes who are fighting for the Empire over which the sun never sets. The whole of last year’s officers were re-elected.